Three Days of Learning
After this workshop, you’ll have the confidence you need to start your own craft distillery.
Hands-on Instruction
Attendees will be able to operate their own actual still for hands-on learning you won’t find anywhere else.
Lifetime Access to Courses & Content
Attendees will also receive a free Lifetime Access membership to DistilleryUniversity.com, meaning you’ll be able to rewatch your workshop as well as all future workshops from anywhere, anytime!
Expert Instructors
This Workshop is taught by real-world experts, ensuring you get the most valuable knowledge available.
Hands-on Preview
Want to know what the hands-on portion of the workshop entails? Check out this video to see some of the exciting things you’ll be able to do while at our 3-day workshop.
Meet Our Presenters
Todd Buckley
Lead Facilitator
Trading in silicon chips for copper stills, Todd Buckley is a technologist turned distiller. He has worked at Intel and Microsoft and has been instrumental in producing award-winning gin and vodka. He is the founder of Destiny Spirits and Lecturer in Social Media and consultant within the spirits industry.
Paul Ziegman
Owner, Tinbender Craft Distillery
Paul Ziegman brings 18 years of construction experience, 13 of those being with Local 55 Sheet Metal Workers Union, specializing in sanitary stainless steel fabrication. Tapping into those sheet metal skills, he built a distillery from the ground up. Paul has 9 years of fermenting, brewing, and distilling experience and is looking forward to sharing his experience and knowledge.
Ethan Donahue
Distiller, Tinbender Craft Distillery
Ethan will be using his engineering background and extensive experience working as a craft distiller to show attendees the ins-and-outs of what they’ll need in a new craft distillery. You’ll learn about:
- Mash tuns
- Fermentation vessels
- Storage tanks
- Bottling tanks
- Differences in vessel materials
- Sizing requirements
Syllabus
Industry expert Todd Buckley covers:
- Welcome to the Beverage Alcohol Industry
- History of Distilling in America
- Regulation Highlights to Distill in the US
- The Competitive Landscape of Spirits in the US
- Introduction to Biology: Fermentation
- Grains, Fruits and Yeast
- Yeast Strains
- Introduction to Chemistry: Alcohol
- Ethanol, Methanol, Isopropanol
- Organic Acids
- Ethylene and Ethyl Ether
- Esters
- Filtration
- Vodka distillation
- Properly Using a Hydrometer
- Substrate Choices
- Achieving 190 proof
- Filtration
- Proofing
- Bottling
- Brandy Distillation
- Fruit Choices
- Achieving 160 proof
- Filtration
- Proofing
- Bottling
- Botanicals Blending for Gin
- Botanical Choices
- Maceration, Decoction and Infusion
- Filtration
- Proofing
- Bottling
- Brewing Skill for Whiskey Distillation and Aging
- Substrate Choices
- Fermentation
- Distillation Techniques
- Aging
- Filtration
- Proofing
- Bottling
- Introduction to Physics: Distillation
- Heating, Reflux and Condensation
- Still Design
- Weight, Volume and Temperature
The hands-on instruction will take place at Tinbender Craft Distillery. Owners and distilling experts Paul Ziegman and Ethan Donahue will walk us through how to operate a small pot still, preparing a mash for fermentation and what considerations need to be made in creating a perfect batch of spirits. Paul and Ethan will be on hand to answer any and all questions you might have about any aspect of running a distillery.
Attendees will have the opportunity to operate a small pot still and you’ll take home some of the spirits you distill during the Workshop.
Due to limited space in the distillery, hands-on instruction will be split into two days. Attendees will spend half of each day on-site with Paul, then the other half back in the classroom for more instruction with Todd Buckley or touring another local distillery.
Topics to be covered in the hands-on portion of the class are:
- Mashing
- Grain choice
- Temperatures
- Fermentation
- Choosing the base product
- Yeast choice
- Vessel choice
- Distillation
- Making the cuts
- Temperature choice
- Equipment design/performance
- Still performance
Tuition
20% off for early registration!- Workshop dates: To be announced
- Reserved spot for all 3 days, including actual hands-on distilling experience. You’ll make your own mash and operate an actual pot still too (you won’t find this anywhere else.)
- Includes a free Lifetime Access membership to DistilleryUniversity.com online courses (including all footage from this Workshop – $499 value!).
- Includes supplemental materials.
- Take home the spirits you’ll distill during the Workshop.
- Includes invitations to all After-Hours Events throughout the weekend.
- Your future distillery will be featured prominently on the Alumnus Directory.
Early Registration Discount
Register early and receive the discounted rate of $1999. After the discount closes, registration increases to $2499.
Questions?
Just call (509) 999-1244 or email info@distilleryuniversity.com. We’ll be happy to provide you with any information you need.
Bringing a friend?
Email us at info@distilleryuniversity.com to receive 20% off a second seat at our workshop!
We suggest staying at the Davenport Grand Hotel in Downtown Spokane. The classroom portion of the Workshop will be held on-site, so there is no need to rent a car or other transportation. There are numerous other hotels in the immediate area that are also available.
To receive our discount at the Davenport Grand Hotel, where the workshop is taking place, stay tuned to this website. The Davenport Grand offers a free car service within 2 miles of the hotel, so no need for a rental car, Uber, or cab fare.
Downtown Spokane is Eastern Washington’s hub for top-quality restaurants and entertainment. Within blocks of the hotel you’ll find a wide range of food offerings, bars, even a speakeasy or two. We have numerous theaters, places to shop, and more. Click here to visit the Spokane tourism website.
The Workshop will be held at the Davenport Grand Hotel, so there is no real need to rent a car or other transportation. On the days we visit Tinbender Distillery, we will provide rides for those who need them at no cost. For those who prefer to walk, the distillery is just a half mile down the road through lovely Downtown Spokane.
Proudly display your dedication to your distilling education with an official certificate of membership from Distillery University. At the conclusion of the workshop, every attendee receives a certificate to put on the wall of their future distillery.
